Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-12-01

near where the brook crosses the road at
the pool. You understand!'
II do SIR said Roger, knowingly.
very well, then, you all understand Put
all your bundles in the carriage and go off
for good Sleep
The three servants were quickly on their
way TO the village, Roger proving himself
perfectly invulnerable when bonbarded
with questions by the two excited and curl
Gus seamen.
Dick and Fairfax, meanwhile, were on
their way to the village of Y. thirty miles
distant At half-past three O'Clock IN the
morning they were approaching the well
known town, and the east was beginning to
show faint signs Of light.
Fairfax urged to a rapid pace the morse
that quickly carried them through the sluIn-
bering place. He made a brief pause al the
inn of Landlord Baudray. They drove d.
rectly toward the appointed rendezvous near
the fateful pool and led the horse into the
midst of neighboring grove, where ii was
quite evident no one would stray, otherwise
than by the merest accident.
Turning to Dick, Fairfax heaved sigh.
with the after remark:
MY friend, all is complete-eyery Thing.
Only the intervention of Heaven, now, can
defeat my plans"
Then, for the first time, Oxford's curl
satisfied.
He had made up his mind. whatever might
be their character, not to betray the slight
est emotion on learning them; and to do him
Justice, outHardly he eyinced no sign of the
disrlay that overwhelmed him as he listened
to the outrageous project Of his mad friend
Although his heart sank within him, he
made no remark at first Fairfax watched
him keenly, TO observe the effect of his own
words
Finally. with gravity wholly unwonted
| and an impressive seriousness, all the more
| effective because unusual, Oxford turned to
| Fairfax, and said:
| Il promised TO be with you in whatever
You undertook. VIII keep my word if you
insist upon IL II is not too late, even yet,for
| you to forego this unfortunate affair. ], my
| self. think it unnecessary, extremely i'm
practicable and dangerous, and, frankly,
| idiotic as well as wicked
| Not line moved in his hearers impassive
counteaance.
That extraordinary individual had consid-
cred the entire matter in all its actual and
possible relations and contn gencies; had
become excited to an unnatural and ex-
tremely unreasonable pitch of mind, and
was resolved that nothing should deter him
/ from his undertaking.
Although somewhat startled al the sound
| advice and solemn words Of the hitherto
| hght-hearted Richard, and realizing, for a
moment, the folly Of his prospective deed
and the long list Of misfortunes and evils
| that might follow in its train, he immediate
| y steeled himself against the weakness of
| the moment, and was once more the man of
answering purpose and iron viii.
This man. Dick, must be won again. I
am fast losing my hold upon him and must
| regain il and make it stronger. No half
| hearted work VIII suffice at this late date
was his silent self-reasoning.
| Beginning IN that plausible. seductive and
| Irresistibly attractive manner of his, he
| gradually overcame Dicks conscientious
| scruples; dulled his common-sense.a appealed
| to his adventurous spirit, and thus began 10
| arouse his tagging interest in the matter.
Oxford, poor fellow, although realizing
/ that his friend was about TO embark upon a
| very crazy and cowardly enterprise, was
| yet unable TO resist the extraordinary infiu=
| ence which this strange man welded over
1 him, and, step by step, yielded TO the mighty
will Of the latter; until, once more, Fairfax
had most jealous advocate in Richard.
| About noon, with a lazy cape, Fairfax re-
marked:
Let Us go out and watch for those
| heavy villains They must be near at
| hand.n
| There soon appeared three strange men.
/ carelessly sauntering down the road So
| completely had they disguised them
selves that the two watchers were uncer-
| tain as to their identity. However, as they
| approached nearer, il was not difficult TO
recognize the tones OF each voice.
The arch-conspirator took the two seamen
| aside and enlightened them as to the part
| they were TO play. They appeared TO be
| wide-awake characters, capable of hazard
Gus feat of any kind. They readily entered
| into the spirit Of the occasion and consid-
cred the affair as a jolly kind of q lark
Meanwhile Richard-who had been thor
| oughly instructed-in mysterious and melo-
| dramatic tones, was initiating his valet into
| the nature of the duties which were TO fall
upon him
After some time spent in writing, Fairfax
| examined the vehicle and found 1t In excel
| lent condition. The harness also seemed
strong. One trace was little worn. and,
with an extra tug, might give way. a
piece of stout cord quickly remedied this
defect The horse appeared to have entirely
| recovered from his long journey Of the
night before.
One thing the anxious observer did not
like. A heavy black bank Of clouds was
rising in the southwest low, dilatory
mass of vapor that clearly betokened an ap-
preaching storm. StiIl, he thought itwould
scarcely interfere with the fulfllment Of his
expectations and plans.
He went TO the roadside to watch. Be
tween three and four, he saw, away In the
distance, up the road, carriage approach
ing. 1t contained Din1itri and Catherine, En-
rol1te, no doubt, TO make preparations for Ma
talie, who then could not be far behind them
U ~ ray